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Barwick mill faces downtime

VANCOUVER—Ainsworth Lumber Co. Ltd. says it will temporarily shut down operations at four of its oriented strandboard mills before the end of the year, and two of those mills also will operate on a reduced production schedule indefinitely.

Vancouver-based Ainsworth cited operating losses, log supply shortages, and a decline in orders for the curtailments.

The company said this week it would curtail operations at two Canadian mills: Barwick, Ont. from Dec. 24-Jan. 1 and Grande Prairie, Alta. from Nov. 5-12 and Dec. 17-Jan. 1.

In the U.S., Ainsworth with shut its Cook, Mn. mill from Nov. 3-25 and Dec. 24-Jan. 1 while the one in Bemidji, Mn. will be closed Nov. 17-Dec. 9. and Dec. 24-Jan. 1.

The Bemidji already is closed from Oct. 19-28.

Both Minnesota mills also will begin operating on a reduced production schedule this month “for an indefinite period,” Ainsworth said in a release.

Oriented strandboard is a popular plywood substitute used in the slumping U.S. home building industry.